Declarations of the Perfected is the first complete, annotated translation of the ZhenÕgao, Tao HongjingÕs (456-536) masterful compilation of the Shangqing or Higher Clarity revelations, setting the stage for the heyday of medieval Daoism. This volume presents its first part (fasc. 1-4), centering around the practice of achieving Òspiritual union,Ó a spiritual analogue to sexual intercourse, with Perfected partners. The book is the first to examine in depth the full process of this practiceÑfrom preliminary courtship to the mechanics of the act of intercourse, the gestation of the Perfected embryo in the body of the adept, and finally the adeptÕs rebirth.